True, travelling with infants and toddlers is a challenge. Logistically it’s difficult. But yes, it can be done. We decided to hell with it, let’s take these kids on a trip to the US of A. What was our other option? Stay indoors and never leave the house? Well, we were already doing that. So we took it upon ourselves to not be that kind of family, and started planning our trip to Alabama.

Many a time before having kids, we said we’d never let having kids stop us having a life. That we’d get out and about and ‘do stuff’ despite having a child in tow, or two, or three. Oh such wise words from the unaccustomed. How clever we were BC – before children.

We considered ourselves well travelled, having seen a lot of the world - BC. We used to get a thrill out of how easy it was to travel together. A smug little grin would creep across our faces whenever we’d travel with a light carryon bag, or none at all, navigating the security checkpoints with ease, whipping out laptops into the trays provided with one hand, the other flicking off shoes and belts and anything that might beep. We knew the system. As we sashayed through yet another terminal, we’d congratulate each other on how smoothly we travelled, and that we were so “streamlined”. Back pats aplenty. That was BC.

So as our trip neared closer, and the gasps got louder, we steeled ourselves for 24 hours of flying on 3 different flights with one 2 year old and 2 ten month olds. We knew it was never going to be easy. Our secret weapon was to plan. Plan for every eventuality with a back-up plan and then a contingency plan, that was the key. Overplanning is our speciality. I had enough nappies for delays. I had enough bottles and formula in case we dropped some, lost some, someone vomited or needed more to calm their ears. I had food for ten kids. I had a bag packed full of earplanes, bonjela, panadol, spare clothes and everything in between. In case of missed connections, delayed flights, in case of this, in case of that, in case it’s cold, in case it’s hot, you name it, I had everything known to man in that carry-on luggage. Nothing could go wrong. Except back strain from lugging it all through security checks, customs, immigration and skinny airplane aisles. Not forgetting we also had a double stroller, twins and a toddler to carry as well.

The biggest flight was the one we worried about the most, when in fact the smaller internal US flights were the real sanity tester. Brisbane to LA was a day flight, but the cabin was dimmed to accustom us to the time zone change, so the kids did sleep a little. We flew Virgin Australia and were really impressed. Our main issue was that we were outnumbered. My husband and I had a twin each on our lap, and our 2 year old sat in between us. We were able to bribe her with an iPad full of enough Peppa Pig and Dora to last a week, as well as some new apps to keep her interested. She managed to contort herself into ridiculous positions to sleep in the confined space of an economy seat, which was amazing to say the least. This is a kid I can barely get to sleep at home at the best of times. Of course she got antsy from sitting still for so long with a seatbelt on, but she handled it better than expected. The twins are at the age where cradling peacefully in our arms is a distant memory. Now they want to climb and arch and explore and discover. An Airbus A320 with 300 passengers on board isn’t the most convenient place for this, so we had to try and contain them as best we could. Aisle walking we had down pat. Mixing formula into bottles with one hand, a cinch. Food was in our arsenal. A spare pair of hands was my enemy. As for us, going to the bathroom or trying to have a meal ourselves was reliant on a willing crew member to hold a twin for a spell, which thankfully they did, or my husband and I would have been starving and busting upon landing at LAX.

Now, LAX, there’s an airport experience in itself, children or no children. We have been through LAX a number of times, BC, and not many of those times can we honestly say it’s been either a) pleasant or b) streamlined. There seems to be an innate sense of defensiveness when you land here. It’s busy, tired and inhospitable. After 15 hours of travel with 3 kids, those feelings are magnified. Getting to your next gate can be a long process. Tom Bradley terminal is a good walk or shuttle from the domestic terminals, so be prepared for this.

Post September 11, airport security within the US has been tightened. It generally means long lines, waiting and standing around, as well as surrendering everything you have onto a conveyor belt, getting x-rayed or fingerprinted and then packing it all up again, while passing small children between you like hot potatoes. Your stroller will be scanned. You could also be tested for explosives. Attitude here is everything. Yes, you’re tired, yes, you have another long walk to your gate, yes, your next flight is about to leave, yes, your babies are screaming because their bottle was due 20 minutes ago. Breathe. If you get through this bit then everything else gets easier.

The key to successful travel with young children comes down to 2 things: preparation and attitude.Here are a few tips to make the journey easier:

When travelling with young children, allow yourself time. Time to check in early enough to ask about bassinet seating, time to change everyone’s nappies before take off, time to prepare bottles, time to find the parents room, administer any medication, feed and toilet yourselves, arrange and rearrange carry-on bags before your flight is called to board. Running through an airport with bags and kids is not fun. Avoid it if you can.

Panadol half an hour before a flight is supposed to alleviate pressure in little ears on ascent / descent.

Pack favourite comfort toys that your little ones normally sleep with. I used pacifier chains that attach to their clothing so that their toys wouldn’t get dropped or lost. The same with their dummies.

When travelling with young children, Include new things for them to play with on the flight. It will keep them interested and be a good bribery tool when you need it.

Knowing what to expect can be helpful for a young child. We took ours to the airport a few weeks before our trip, just to watch the big planes take off and land. It not only gave her an idea of what a big plane looked like, but also helped create excitement around the journey itself. If your children are older, talking to them in advance about long haul travel and what will happen, can help make them feel at ease, as well as prepare them to help you with younger siblings if required.

When boarding, if you have enough hands, one parent can get on board first with the bags to secure precious overhead locker space, while the other parent boards last with the kids.

Lastly, relax. Children scream, babies cry. That’s what they do. When travelling with young children It’s inevitable that at some stage you’ll be that parent with the screaming kid that every other passenger is glaring at. So what. You’ll never see those passengers again. It’s 24 hours out of your life that you’ll thankfully never have to relive again. And apart from the journey – you now have a holiday to look forward to. Enjoy.

10 Tips on Flying with a Toddler

Feedback

On our last trip with our 2 year old toddler, who loves to run around, we bought a safety harness. It's called a CARES safety harness for kids up to 4. Not only did I feel much happier knowing he was restrained but it also kept him STILL. It was great and made the trip much more enjoyable. The harness was inexpensive and really easy to use. I would recommend it to all parents. Travel writers - Beck & Michael.﻿